Cutaneous applicator with a liquid storage cartridge

ABSTRACT

A cutaneous applicator ( 10 ) for a liquid including a liquid storage cartridge ( 16 ) which is provided with an outlet ( 22 ) for the evacuation of the liquid. Also provided is a hydrophilic pledget ( 12 ) for applying the liquid to an area which is to be treated, and a structure ( 14 ) for maintaining the hydrophilic pledget ( 12 ) in a position opposite to the outlet for the evacuation of the liquid from the cartridge ( 16 ). The structure ( 14 ) for maintaining the pledget is integral with the cartridge ( 16 ). The applicator can be used to apply an aseptic liquid for cutaneous treatment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cutaneous applicator for liquid, ofthe type comprising a storage cartridge for the liquid which is providedwith an outlet for evacuation of the liquid, a hydrophilic pledget forapplying liquid to an area which is to be treated, and means formaintaining the hydrophilic pledget opposite an outlet for evacuation ofthe liquid from the cartridge.

2. Description of Related Art

It is commonplace to use a hydrophilic pledget for applying adisinfectant liquid or a medicinal substance to a wound.

In order to prevent too rapid drying of the hydrophilic pledget duringits storage, it is commonplace to store the hydrophilic pledget and theliquid for impregnating the pledget separately.

For example, document WO-91/12197 describes a cutaneous applicationdevice comprising a storage cartridge to which a head for applying theliquid is attached. The application head comprises a carrying structureon which a hydrophilic pledget is mounted. The application head ismanufactured separately from the cartridge, and then mounted on thelatter using mechanical coupling means such as snap-fit means. In orderto allow opening of the cartridge, at least a portion of the carryingstructure is mounted so as to be displaceable.

Therefore, the application head has a relatively complex structure,considerably increasing the cost of the cutaneous applicator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to propose a cutaneous applicator whosecost of manufacture is low, whilst still allowing the liquid which is tobe applied, to be initially confined in a storage cartridge.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a cutaneous applicator forliquid of the above-mentioned type, characterized in that the means formaintaining the pledget are integral with the cartridge.

According to particular embodiments, the applicator comprises one or anumber of the following characteristics:

(1) the maintaining means comprise an arch for supporting the pledgetsurmounting the outlet for evacuation of the liquid from the cartridge,the arch being integral at its ends with the cartridge;

(2) the cartridge comprises a body for storing the liquid which isextended by a neck of small cross section, delimiting a conduit forconveying the liquid as far as the evacuation outlet, and the arch isconnected to the cartridge at the base of the neck;

(3) the neck comprises at least one longitudinal reinforcement rib;

(4) the cartridge is an initially hermetically sealed cartridge, ofwhich the opening for evacuation of the liquid is closed off by areleasable stopper, and the maintaining means are deformable elasticallybetween a rest position and a position of release of the stopper;

(5) the cartridge comprises a closing-off stopper which can be driedthrough the action of angular displacement relative to the axis of thecartridge, and the arch comprises lateral legs which are connected, attheir ends, to the cartridge, the legs being deformable elastically inthe form of a helix in order to allow the arch to be twisted;

(6) the stopper is separate from the arch and comprises at least oneactuation projection;

(7) the stopper is integral with the arch for its angular displacementrelative to the body upon elastic deformation of the arch;

(8) it comprises a member for perforating the closing-off stopper, thismember being carried by the arch and arranged opposite the opening;

(9) the perforation member is carried by a transverse bridge provided atthe ends of two lateral legs of the arch, the other ends of the legsbeing connected to the cartridge, and the bridge is deformableelastically by flexion toward the opening of the cartridge; and

(10) the hydrophilic pledget comprises a hydrophilic strip which isfolded over on itself, and the maintaining means are adapted formaintaining the outlet for evacuation from the cartridge fitted betweenthe folded-over edges of the strip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood upon reading the followingdescription which is given solely by way of example and refers to thedrawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views in elevation, of the front and of the side,respectively, of a cutaneous applicator according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of the front of the cutaneous applicatorshow in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown during opening of the cartridge;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views in elevation of variant embodiments of acutaneous applicator according to the invention;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views in elevation of the same embodiment of acutaneous applicator according to the invention, shown before openingand during opening, respectively, of the outlet for evacuation of theliquid;

FIG. 8 is a view in elevation of a variant embodiment of a cutaneousapplicator according to the invention, shown during its opening; and

FIG. 9 is a view in elevation of a further embodiment of a cutaneousapplicator according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a cutaneous applicator 10 comprising a hydrophilicpledget 12 retained by maintaining means 14 on a cartridge 16 forstoring an aseptic active liquid. This liquid is, for example, adisinfectant or a medicinal substance.

The cartridge 16 is made from molded plastic. It is produced bypressing, between two half-molds, a tube of polymer obtained at theoutlet from an extruder. During pressing, the polymer tube is maintainedunder pressure by air being blown through it.

The cartridge comprises a substantially cylindrical flexible body 18.The body is extended in its upper part by a throat or neck 20 having anouter cross section which grows progressively smaller toward its freeend. The neck 20 delimits, on the inside, a conduit for conveying theliquid as far as an axial outlet 22. Initially, the outlet 22 is closedoff by a dryable stopper 24, which is integral with the neck 20.

The stopper 24 is connected to the end of the neck in order to close offthe outlet 22 by means of a breakable tip 26 which allows detachment ofthe stopper 24 and opening of the cartridge, by angular displacement ofthe stopper relative to the body of the cartridge.

For this purpose, the stopper 24 is integral with an actuatingprojection 28 consisting, for example, of a tongue in the form of anellipse which is integral with the stopper.

At the base of the neck 20, the body 18 of the cartridge has aperipheral groove 29.

The capacity of the cartridge is adapted to contain the amount of liquidrequired for a single use. This capacity is between 1 ml and 5 ml andis, for example, equal to 2.5 ml, without these values being regarded aslimitative.

In the applicator 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a hydrophilic pledget 12 isretained by the maintaining means 14 on the storage cartridge oppositethe outlet 22 for evacuation of the liquid from the cartridge. Thepledget 12 is formed from a hydrophilic strip 30, for example a strip ofgauze.

The hydrophilic strip 30 is folded around the maintaining means 14 sothat the outlet 22 for evacuation from the cartridge is fitted betweenthe two folded-down edges of the hydrophilic strip 30.

To this end, the maintaining means 14 comprise an arch 40 that isintegral at its ends with the cartridge 16. The arch 40, which has thegeneral shape of a U, surmounts the evacuation outlet 22 and the stopper24.

The arch 40 comprises two lateral legs 42 connected to one another by atransverse bridge 44 surmounting the evacuation outlet 22. The arch 40delimits an arc inside which the neck 20, the stopper 24 and the tongue28 initially extend. The stopper 24 and the tongue 28 are separated fromthe arch 40 by a peripheral gap. The legs 42 are connected at one oftheir ends, laterally on either side of the body 18 in the upper regionof the latter where the groove 29 is provided. The legs 42 extend in themedian longitudinal plane of the cartridge. The two legs 42 and thebridge 44 are integral with the cartridge.

To produce the arch 40, the two half-molds adapted for manufacturing thecartridge 16 comprise, in the upper part of the impression delimitingthe cartridge, generally U-shaped channels delimiting the shape of thearch 40. Thus, when the two half-molds are in contact, the two oppositewalls of the polymer tube are compressed against one another in theU-shaped channels, thus forming the arch 40.

Moreover, when the two half-molds are brought together, they are notapplied in complete contact with one another so that a web is formed allaround the cartridge 18 and the arch 40, and inside the zone delimitedby the arch 40.

After demolding of the cartridge, this web is removed by being cut alongthe outer contour of the cartridge 18 and the arch 40, and by cuttingthe web inside the zone delimited by the arch 40, along the innerperiphery thereof. This cut is advantageously made by a punching tool.

As shown, the width of the legs 42 decreases progressively from the body18 of the cartridge as far as the transverse bridge 44. The bridge 44constitutes a support for the hairpin-bend-shaped end of the hydrophilicstrip 30.

Moreover, at the base of the legs 42, i.e. at their end which connectswith the cartridge, points 46 for securing the hydrophilic strip 30 areprovided on the two opposite faces of the legs. These points are adaptedto penetrate through the porous structure of the hydrophilic strip inorder to be embedded therein and thus to weld the folded-down ends ofthe strip onto the maintaining means 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the legs 42 are of a size to allow theirelastic deformation into a helical profile in order to permit angulardeflection of the bridge 44 during manual entrainment thereof.

Thus, the arch may be deformed by twisting about the longitudinal axisof the cartridge.

The maintaining means 14 are thus deformable elastically between a restposition shown in FIG. 2, in which the arch is flat, and a sectioningposition of the stopper 24, shown in FIG. 3, in which the legs 42 of thearch are deformed in the form of a helix, whereas the stopper 24 isdetached by shearing.

It will in fact be understood that, as the body of the cartridge is heldbetween the fingers, a rotary movement of the hydrophilic pledget 12about the axis of the cartridge 16, through the action of the fingersstressing the free end of the pledget, gives rise to the shearing of thestopper 24 and thus opening of the cartridge. During deformation of thehydrophilic pledget and of the arch by twisting, the tongue 28 issimultaneously stressed, which leads to breakage of the tip 26connecting the stopper 24 to the neck.

After detachment of the stopper, the liquid contained in the cartridgeis free to flow, in order to impregnate the hydrophilic strip,particularly through the action of manual pressure exerted on theflexible body of the cartridge.

The pledget being thus impregnated, the user can dab the area which isto be treated with the pledget while holding only the body of thecartridge.

It will be understood that as the means 14 for maintaining thehydrophilic strip are integral with the cartridge, they are veryinexpensive to manufacture as they are produced simultaneously withmanufacture of the cartridge.

The following figures show variant embodiments of the applicatoraccording to the invention.

In these Figures, elements which are identical or similar to those inFIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the tongue 28 for actuating thestopper 24 is integral with the bridge 44. Thus, during rotationentrainment of the arch 40, the stopper 24 is sheared, even if theoperator applies his fingers only to the bridge 44. Moreover, in thisembodiment, the neck 20 comprises, longitudinally, reinforcement ribs 50arranged longitudinally on either side of the arch 40.

For reasons of clarity concerning the drawings, the hydrophilic strip 30is not shown in FIGS. 5 etc.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the neck 20 is closed off axially byan end wall 60 which cannot be dried. On the other hand, the neck isprovided, at its free end, with two lateral evacuation outlets which arediametrically opposed and arranged in the plane of the arch 40. Theseevacuation outlets are closed off by stoppers 62 integral with the neckand connected to the latter by breakable tips 64 extending radiallyrelative to the axis of the neck.

The stoppers 62 are connected to the bridge 44 of the arch by extensions66 provided in the angle delimited between the legs 42 and the bridge44.

In this embodiment, also, it will be understood that, upon angulardisplacement of the bridge 44 relative to the cartridge 16 about theaxis of the latter, the stoppers 62 are entrained, giving rise to thebreakage of the breakable tips 64 and thus opening of the outlets forevacuation of the liquid.

In the embodiments in FIGS. 6 to 8, the neck 20 of the cartridge isclosed off axially by a pierceable capsule 70, which forms a releasablestopper. Opposite the pierceable capsule 70 there is initially aperforation member 72 carried by the bridge 44. This perforation memberis advantageously integral with the bridge 44 and consists of a spikeextending in the axis of the neck 20. The pointed end of the perforationmember 72 is initially arranged in the immediate vicinity of the capsule70.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, the legs 42 of the arch aredeformable elastically in the form of a helix, as in the previousembodiments. Thus, in order to proceed with opening the cartridge, andas illustrated in FIG. 7, the operator displaces the bridge 44 angularlyrelative to the cartridge, thus giving rise to the deformation of thelegs.

During this deformation, the spike 72 undergoes, on the one hand, arotational movement about the axis of the cartridge, and, on the otherhand, an axial displacement toward the neck 20, due to the deformationof the legs 42 of constant length in the form of a helix.

Thus, the spike 72 pierces the capsule 70 and opens the cartridge.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the bridge 44 has, as in thepreceding embodiment, a perforation member 72.

However, in this embodiment, the legs of the arch are rigid.Nevertheless, the bridge 44 is deformable elastically by flexion uponapplication of an axial thrust, as illustrated by the arrow F.

Thus, when the operator applies a pressure in the direction of the arrowF, the perforation member 72 penetrates the evacuation passage delimitedby the neck 20 and breaks the capsule 70, thus allowing release of theliquid contained in the cartridge.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the bridge 44 is connected to the endof the neck 20 by a tip 82 forming the stopper and closing off theevacuation conduit delimited by the neck 20. The tip 82 is integral withthe neck 20 and the tip 44.

In this embodiment, the cartridge is opened by rotation of the bridge 44about the axis of the cartridge. This rotation gives rise to thebreakage of the link between the tip 82 and the end of the neck 20, thusopening the cartridge 16.

Moreover, opening may also be obtained by axial pressure on the bridge44, in order temporarily to press the tip 82 into the neck 20, thusopening the cartridge.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cutaneous applicator for liquid, saidapplicator comprising: a liquid storage cartridge for storing theliquid, said cartridge being provided with an outlet for evacuation ofthe liquid; a hydrophilic pledget for applying liquid to an area whichis to be treated; and means for maintaining said hydrophilic pledgetopposite said outlet for evacuation of the liquid from said cartridge,wherein said means for maintaining the pledget is integral with saidcartridge, and wherein said means for maintaining comprises an arch forsupporting the pledget, said arch surmounting said outlet for evacuationof the liquid from said cartridge, and said arch is integral at its endswith said cartridge.
 2. The cutaneous applicator as claimed in claim 1,wherein said cartridge comprises a body for storing the liquid, and aneck extending from said body to said outlet, said neck defining aconduit for conveying the liquid to said outlet, and said arch isconnected to said cartridge at a base of said neck.
 3. The applicator asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridge comprises a closing-offstopper, which can be removed through angular displacement relative tothe axis of said cartridge, wherein said arch comprises lateral legsconnected at their first ends to said cartridge, said legs beingelastically deformable in the form of a helix in order to allow saidarch to be twisted.
 4. The cutaneous applicator as claimed in claim 3,wherein said neck comprises at least one longitudinal reinforcement rib.5. The cutaneous applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcartridge is an initially hermetically sealed cartridge, and said outletis closed by a stopper, and said means for maintaining is elasticallydeformable between a rest position and a position of releasing saidstopper.
 6. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridgecomprises a closing-off stopper, which can be removed through angulardisplacement relative to the axis of said cartridge, wherein said archcomprises lateral legs connected at their first ends to said cartridge,said legs being elastically deformable in the form of a helix in orderto allow said arch to be twisted.
 7. The applicator as claimed in claim6, wherein said stopper is separate from said arch and comprises a leastone actuation projection.
 8. The applicator as claimed in claim 6,wherein said stopper is integral with said arch so that it will beangularly displaced upon elastic deformation of said arch.
 9. Theapplicator as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a perforatingmember for perforating said closing-off stopper, said perforating memberbeing carried by said arch and arranged opposite said outlet.
 10. Theapplicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridge comprises abody for storing the liquid, and a neck extending from said body to saidoutlet, said neck defining a conduit for conveying the liquid to saidoutlet, and said conduit is initially closed by a closing-off stopper,wherein said applicator further comprises a member for perforating saidclosing-off stopper, and said member is carried by said arch and isarranged so as to oppose said outlet.
 11. The applicator as claimed inclaim 10, wherein said arch comprises a transverse bridge and a pair oflateral legs each of which has a first end connected to said cartridge,and a second end connected to said transverse bridge, and wherein saidperforation member is carried by said transverse bridge.
 12. Theapplicator as claimed in claim 11, wherein said bridge is elasticallydeformable.
 13. The applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidhydrophilic pledget comprises a hydrophilic strip which is folded overon itself, and said arch is adapted to maintain said outlet fittedbetween the folded-over edges of said hydrophilic strip.
 14. A liquidapplicator comprising: a liquid storage cartridge having an outlet and astopper blocking the outlet; a hydrophilic pledget for applying liquidto an area to be treated; and an elastically deformable U-shapedstructure for supporting said hydrophilic pledget, said U-shapedstructure comprising a first leg having first and second ends, a secondleg having first and second ends, and a transverse member connected tothe first end of said first leg and the first end of said second leg,wherein said transverse member extends over said outlet, and the secondends of said first and second legs are integrally connected to saidcartridge.
 15. The liquid applicator as claimed in claim 14, furthercomprising an actuating projection connected to said stopper.
 16. Theliquid applicator as claimed in claim 15, wherein said stopper includesa breakable tip which permits detachment of said stopper and opening ofthe cartridge upon deforming said U-shaped structure into the shape of ahelix.
 17. The liquid applicator as claimed in claim 14, wherein saidcartridge comprises a cartridge body and a neck defining a liquidpassage, and said stopper comprises an end wall of said neck.
 18. Theliquid applicator as claimed in claim 17, further comprising aperforation member carried by said transverse member and positioned soas to be opposed to the outlet.
 19. The liquid applicator as claimed inclaim 14, wherein said transverse member is integrally connected to saidstopper.
 20. A liquid applicator comprising: a liquid storage cartridgehaving a cartridge body and a neck defining a liquid passage terminatingin two lateral evacuation outlets which are diametrically opposed toeach other; a first stopper having a breakable tip closing one of saidoutlets; a second stopper having a breakable tip closing the other ofsaid outlets, wherein said first and second stoppers are integral withsaid neck; a hydrophilic pledget for applying liquid to an area to betreated; and an elastically deformable U-shaped structure for supportingsaid hydrophilic pledget, said U-shaped structure comprising a first leghaving first and second ends, a second leg having first and second ends,and a transverse member connected to the first end of said first leg andthe first end of said second leg, wherein said transverse member extendsover said neck, and said first and second stoppers are connected to saidtransverse member.